From The Void
by Facade
Summary: JT Marsh and his squad continue their stories after "Beyond Chaos"
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: This is a story I began writing long ago. It's part of what would have been a trilogy. I haven't worked on it in ages but decided to post if for other fans enjoyment.  
  
"From the Void" Part One  
  
"Whole planets do not just disappear, Commander Marsh."  
  
J.T. Marsh squared his shoulders and faced the investigation committee of seven members of the newly reformed Homeworld Senate. "Sir, I know what I saw," he addressed the chairman, a balding man of fifty with tired blue eyes named Breckwoldt, "The alien ship...absorbed Chaos. Everything. The planet, the people."  
  
He could see the doubtful looks on many of the council's faces. Only one, the young Senator from Southern New Nepal on Venus showed any conviction or concern.  
  
"How many ships were there?" she asked, worried.  
  
"Four or five. But there might be more," J.T. answered, "We don't know what kind of weaponry they have. They could be..."  
  
"They could be friendly." Senator Simurda interrupted.  
  
"They took an entire planet!" J.T. exclaimed, "How friendly is that?"  
  
Breckwoldt startled them both by slamming his hands down on the table. "That is enough! You are dismissed Commander."  
  
"But..."  
  
"This examination is adjourned. We will discuss this latest event with the Homeworld Senate."  
  
Breckwoldt's voice carried a cold finality to it that told J.T. not to push anymore and he turned and left the room angrily.  
  
Sean Napier leaned against the opposite wall in the corridor.  
  
"How'd it go?" he questioned.  
  
"They refuse to believe anything is going to happen." J.T. responded bitterly."It has to be staring them in the face before they'll do anything about it."  
  
"You can't blame them really." Sean injected calmly, straightening. "We just finished one war, no one wants to begin another one if they don't need to."  
  
"I know." J.T. sighed reluctantly. "But a lot of good people were on Chaos."  
  
"This isn't about all the people on Chaos. This is about one person in particular isn't it?" Sean ventured.  
  
"Partially." J.T. agreed.  
  
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Colleen O'Reilly moaned softly and rolled onto her back as she gained full consciousness. She opened her eyes slowly although it did her little good since her surroundings were pitch black. She pulled a small work light from her belt and flicked it on. The beam didn't illuminate far before being lost in the murky darkness. The only thing it did reveal was piles of twisted metal and rock scattered everywhere. Where was she? The last thing she remembered was J.T. taking off in his E-frame and a couple of minutes later everything went dark.  
  
She did a quick inventory of herself. Well, she was still in one piece. A couple of scratches and bruises but nothing broken.  
  
Colleen scanned the light around her but was only met with more rubble and darkness. Her gaze fell on a form laying motionless near a pile of boulders. She moved toward it cautiously. As she got closer she could discern that they were breathing and knelt next to the man. She rolled him on his back carefully, mindful that he could be injured.  
  
"Hollis?" she called softly.  
  
Hollis opened his eyes sluggishly and blinked a few times before bringing her into focus. Colleen helped him sit up.  
  
"Anything broken?" she inquired.  
  
Hollis moved his arms and legs experimentally. "I don't think so. Just a little sore. What happened?"  
  
"I was hoping you could tell me."  
  
"I don't know. There were some strange energy readouts on the screen and J.T. went out to take a look. He said he couldn't catch whatever it was. Then everything just went off-line." Hollis explained.  
  
Colleen hoped J.T. was okay. Alec DeLeon had been right, she should have told him how she felt. Now she didn't know if she'd ever get the chance. She brushed a strand of hair back and stood. "Come on. Let's see if we can't find anyone else." she told him, trying to mask her fear and extending a hand to help him to his feet.  
  
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Maggie Weston looked around her in awe. She couldn't believe the resilience of the human race. The war had only been over a month but overnight the change in Greater Paris was unbelievable. The sun was shining, people were walking on the streets without fear, and reconstruction had already begun. There was still an undertone of fear and despair but even that was being erased by the warm sun and the hesitant chatter of the denizens of the megalopolis. She craned her head up as the shadows of E-frames fell across the street. A hush fell over the street then picked up again even louder as if they were assuring themselves they were free again.  
  
She was standing in once had been a residential area. The buildings were all sad looking with their broken windows and blaster riddled fronts. To think that once this had been a happy place, filled with clean streets and immaculately clean yards with children playing in them. How many of those children had survived? Maggie felt tears prick her eyes and blinked. Alec had wanted to come home and see if any of his family had survived the war before reporting back for active duty. Home. Maggie doubted she still had one. It had disappeared when her family had died. She had nothing except the ExoSquad.  
  
Alec was coming down the steps toward her. "The house was abandoned. They probably cleared out when the war began and moved to my grandfather's in the country." He shaded his eyes and looked up at the position of the sun. "We can make it before sunset."  
  
He noticed the tears shimmering in her eyes and stepped next to her. "Mags?"  
  
She looked around sadly. "All those lives. Gone. For no reason except because one man wanted power."  
  
Alec pulled her into his arms tenderly and hugged her. "But the war's over now." He released her and took her hands in his. "Maggie, thank you. For everything."  
  
Maggie smiled hesitantly at him. "Anytime DeLeon."  
  
"You okay?"  
  
She nodded. "Yeah, let's get going."  
  
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Nara stood and stretched until her back popped. She tiredly brushed her hair back and gazed proudly across her family's farm. From her perch on top of the dome she could see all the way to the hills. In the few days since she'd been home she'd cleaned the house until it was at least semi-livable, patched the dome, weeded the overgrown garden, and fixed as much of the equipment as she could. Tomorrow she'd try to plant one of the fields. Her wandering gaze fell on the tree shading her parent's and James's graves. Thankfully she hadn't had anymore episodes since then.  
  
She froze as she saw a man approaching the house from the west field. She slid her blaster into its holster on her thigh and climbed down the ladder quickly.  
  
She slipped out the door quietly and leveled her gun at the intruder. "Hold it right there."  
  
The man halted and slowly put his hands up. "Easy. Just passing through."  
  
Nara lowered her gun but held it ready. "You can put your hands down."  
  
"Thank you, Ms. ....?"  
  
"Nara Burns."  
  
"Jerron Knox." the man introduced, extending his hand. "Nice to meet you, Nara."  
  
She took it hesitantly. "Forgive me. I don't get visitors often."  
  
"Don't worry. A cautious person is a live person." Jerron told her pleasantly. "Been home long?"  
  
"Couple of days." Nara answered, relaxing slightly. "Would you like something to eat? It gets pretty lonely out here by myself."  
  
"Never could refuse food." Jerron smiled. 


	2. Chapter 2

"From the Void" Part Two  
  
Jerron gratefully took the mug of hot coffee Nara offered.  
  
"So what are you doing roaming the countryside?" she asked, sitting down across from him.  
  
"Just that. Roaming. There's nothing left for me to go home to." he replied solemnly. "During the war my family was forced into the factories and died there while I was off gallivanting around with the ExoFleet. Now I'm just looking to start a new life."  
  
Silence stretched between them for a long minute. Nara leaned over and surprised herself by placing her hand over his and squeezing gently in sympathy. Jerron cleared his throat uncomfortably and looked around. "You've done some good work here."  
  
Nara leaned back and smiled. "I like to think so but there is still so much to be done."  
  
"Like what?" he asked politely.  
  
Nara was so happy to have someone who was interested in her dreams that she didn't realize how long she talked. Jerron never showed if he was tired. He gave her tips and advice on how to go about some projects. Nara yawned and looked at the time. "Oh! I'm sorry. You must be exhausted." she apologized.  
  
Jerron stood and shook his head. "No. But I've probably stayed too long. I should be going. Thanks for your hospitality Ms. Burns and good luck."  
  
Nara also stood. "Are you sure? You know, you need something to do and I need some help. Why don't you stay? I could pay you." she added as an afterthought.  
  
Jerron stared at her thoughtfully for a moment before smiling and extending his hand. "You have a deal for a while, Nara Burns."  
  
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Colleen finished tying a bandage around a young pirate's head and sat back.  
  
"It's a good thing you pirates have such hard heads or your's would have cracked." she joked.  
  
The young man scowled at her then smiled weakly when he realized she was kidding to ease the tension. "You're right. You need us pirates. You Exos couldn't lead a crashing frame into the ground."  
  
Colleen grinned and stood. "I never back down from a challenge. I'll have to prove you wrong when we get out of this." she tossed back over her shoulder as she walked away.  
  
As soon as she was away her face fell. If they got out of this. She rubbed her hand over her eyes and sighed. Out of the twenty some people they had found, more than half of them needed some kind of medical attention. At least Hollis had found a first aid kit while they'd been searching. Actually he'd tripped over it. She circled the small fire they'd started and sat down next to Vince Pelligrino. Of her remaining people, Longfeather had a broken leg and Pelligrino had a severe concussion. Most of the others were scrapes and bruises. Pelligrino was pale but his breathing was steady so Colleen hoped she didn't need to worry.  
  
The mood around the fire was somber. No one knew where they were or what had happened. And at last count the death toll was at 13. But where was everyone else? Chaos had a population of at least 300,000 people. One person worried her the most. Where was J.T.?  
  
"Lieutenant?" Longfeather asked from where he leaned against a sheet of metal the pirates had identified as part of the ExoCruiser Secura, "What are we going to do now?"  
  
"First of all, we need to get everyone taken care of. Then, we need to get out of here." she answered. "Hollis and I will find a way out while you guys stay here."  
  
"Is that wise, Colleen?" he questioned, concerned.  
  
"Do we really have a choice?" she demanded. "From my calculations we've been here for couple of days. I don't think we're getting any help from the outside, if they even know where we are. So we have to help ourselves." Colleen took a deep, calming breath before continuing. "We'll take two canteens and flashlights and leave the rest for you. We'll try to find a way out or contact the ExoFleet and return. We shouldn't be gone more than a couple of hours."  
  
"What happens if you don't make it back?"  
  
"We will." she said with more confidence then she felt. "I promise."  
  
"Okay." Longfeather agreed grudgingly.  
  
Colleen looped a canteen strap over her shoulder and unhooked her light before walking away.  
  
"O'Reilly? Good luck." he called after her.  
  
She forced herself to smile and wave before joining Hollis on the edge of the small camp.  
  
"You don't have to go, Hollis."  
  
"I would rather seek out my death then let it find me." he told her cockily, slinging on his own canteen.  
  
Colleen flicked on her flashlight and moved into the darkness.  
  
Longfeather watched them until they disappeared around a pile of rocks. "Who wants to hear a story?"  
  
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J.T. Marsh paced the length of the small room. The council had been in session for four hours now, debating what to do about the alien ships. He stopped at the window and looked out. People rushed back and forth across the courtyard like a swarm of ants now that the Homeworld Senate was once again in session. The stars and stripes proudly rippled in the breeze where the Neosapien flag had flown days before. The people of the newly rechristened Chicago had lowered the flag to half-staff in mute testimony of the lives lost in the war. J.T. said his own silent prayer for the dead and bowed his head in rememberence.  
  
He turned as the door opened and Sergeant Rita Torres entered.  
  
"Have they decided yet?" she asked.  
  
J.T. shook his head. "They jumped at the chance to make an alliance with the pirates when it helped them to defeat Phaeton, but now the shoe's on the other foot and their reluctant to maintain ties." he replied vehemently then smiled slightly. "Simbacca is ready to pull his ships and support to go after the creatures himself and damn the Senate. I'm tempted to go with him. Winfield had convinced him to stay until the verdict is in."  
  
The door opened again and Sean Napier poked his head in. "J.T., they're ready."  
  
J.T. and Rita followed him across the hall. Sean held the door open for them and went back to his seat and Rita took up a place near the back wall where she could see everything. Old habits died hard, J.T. thought as he proceeded to the front of the room and stood before the Senate.  
  
He caught Marsala's eyes from where the huge Neo sat but his face was as unreadable as always.  
  
"Commander Marsh," the foreman began, "it is the belief of the representatives of the Homeworlds on this day that on the basis of only your account of these 'aliens' that there is not enough evidence to make any conclusions about the nature of these beings without further investigation."  
  
"Further investigation!?!" J.T. exploded. "Isn't the disappearance of an entire planet just cause for action!?"  
  
"COMMANDER MARSH!" the foreman slammed the gravel down. "If you interrupt this meeting again you will be imprisoned! Furthermore, your squad is hereby dissolved. Do you understand?"  
  
"No, sir, I don't." J.T. answered coldly. "Lives are at stake and you refuse to do anything about it."  
  
Angry murmurs rippled through the chamber.  
  
"Commander Marsh, our decision is quite clear. Any attempts by you to go against our orders will label you a traitor and you will be treated as such."  
  
J.T. saluted stiffly, turned on his heel, and stalked from the room. Sean and Rita followed him out the door. He didn't stop until he was outside and the cool night air hit him in the face, cooling some of his anger.  
  
"J.T.?" Rita called, coming up behind him.  
  
"I'd forgotten how much I hated democracy."  
  
"We're not going to take this are we?" she demanded.  
  
"I won't. I'm going to talk to Simbacca." J.T. responded.  
  
He heard Rita give a small cry of triumph. "I'm with you." she assured him.  
  
"Go gather up any of the squad who wants to go. Make sure they know the consequences."  
  
Torres saluted before running off into the darkness as Napier approached.  
  
"Don't try to stop me, Sean." J.T. warned.  
  
"Wouldn't dare." Sean laughed, "If I could I'd be going with you. I need some excitement."  
  
"Thanks." J.T. climbed into his E-Frame and took off.  
  
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Like Alec had predicted, it was nearly dark by the time they finally reached Alec's grandfather's house. There were no lights or movement coming from the house.  
  
"I don't think anyone's there." Maggie said quietly.  
  
"Let's check it out anyway." Alec answered, barely keeping his disappointment from showing.  
  
He'd barely taken two steps when a shot whizzed past his ear. They both drew their blasters and dropped to the ground. A couple more shots kicked up dirt as they hit the ground in front of them.  
  
"I guess someone must be there after all." Maggie said wryly, "Those are coming from inside."  
  
Alec flashed her a funny frown and stood slowly, throwing his gun away from him. Maggie knew it was a pointless gesture. He had plenty of other weapons on him.  
  
"Stop!" he shouted.  
  
Surprisingly the gunman did.  
  
"Go away, you vultures! You're not welcome here!" a girlish voice yelled at them.  
  
Maggie watched Alec's eyes widen in shock. "Lis!?"  
  
"Alec?" A shadow moved inside the house and a light turned on as the front door opened, spilling light out like a beacon. A slight figure stood silhouetted in the door. "ALEC!!!" she shouted and was suddenly running toward them.  
  
Alec caught the girl as she jumped into his arms. Maggie lost whatever was said over the girl's squealing and Alec's laughing. Alec finally released her.  
  
"We thought you'd been killed." the girl told him somberly.  
  
Alec flinched slightly. "Well, you heard wrong."  
  
Maggie stood slowly, eyeing the petite 14 year old blond.  
  
"Maggie, this is my little sister Lisette." Alec told her.  
  
Lisette stuck her hand out. "Hi, Maggie. Please call me Lis. I hate, hate, hate Lisette." She smiled impishly, "Why are you hanging out with a loser like my brother?"  
  
Maggie smiled and Alec rolled his eyes. "Where's everyone else, Lis?" he asked.  
  
"Mom went into the basement when I saw you coming."  
  
Alec turned to look at the house and walked in that direction quickly. Lis ran ahead of him and darted inside. Maggie entered last, almost awed. In spite of the circumstances, the house was spotless. All the furniture was covered against dust, the rugs rolled up against the wall, the floor swept, and she could see outlines on the walls where pictures had hung.  
  
Alec stood in the middle of the room. He was finally home. He could hear Lisette throw open the door to the basement. "Momma! Alec's home!" she yelled down the stairs.  
  
Maggie felt out of place as Alec met his mother at the door and she stood to the side awkwardly.  
  
Alec hugged his mother tightly, guilt rushing through him when he could feel her ribs. At least she was alive.  
  
"Is the war over?" she whispered against his shoulder.  
  
"It's over."  
  
"Thank God." she breathed, straightening and brushing tears from her eyes. "Who's this?" she asked, seeing Maggie for the first time.  
  
"Momma, this is Maggie Weston."  
  
Maggie stepped forward. "It's a pleasure, Mrs. DeLeon."  
  
"Oh, call me Jean, dear." Jean looked her up and down then turned back to Alec, "You sure pick the good ones, sweetie."  
  
Maggie felt herself flush and, if she wasn't mistaken, Alec had also turned a little red.  
  
Alec cleared his throat, embarrassed. "Where are Dad and Mac?"  
  
The light went out of Jean's eyes and she pressed her lips together tightly in grief. "Mac's okay. He went into town yesterday to see if the rumors were true. Your father..." she broke off, turning away and putting her hand over her mouth.  
  
Alec put his arms around her tenderly and led her to a chair. Maggie could see unshed tears shining in his eyes and felt her throat close in response to his pain.  
  
Jean sniffed and smiled bravely. "We have a lot to talk about young man."  
  
An hour later Maggie was laughing so hard she almost couldn't breathe.  
  
"So here come Alec and Mac, dripping wet, but they had their fish." Jean smiled.  
  
Alec scowled at Maggie's bent over form and stood. "Alright." he said good naturedly. "I'm going to bed before she says anything else." He kissed Jean's cheek and disappeared up the stairs.  
  
Jean looked fondly after her son before turning back to Maggie. "Well, now that he's gone..."  
  
She looked so sly that Maggie couldn't help herself and began to laugh again. It felt good after so long of having nothing to laugh at.  
  
Jean smiled at the young woman sitting across from her. She was exactly the kind of woman her son needed.  
  
Maggie wiped tears from her eyes and stood. "I should be turning in, too." She started for the stairs.  
  
"Do you love my son?" Jean asked.  
  
Maggie's foot missed the first step and she froze, gripping the handrail.  
  
Jean could see she was fumbling for a suitable answer and allowed a small smile. "I'm sorry. It's none of my business."  
  
Maggie opened her mouth and shut it again before practically running up the stairs.  
  
Jean watched her go. "Love him Maggie, as much as he loves you." she whispered. 


	3. Chapter 3

"From the Void" Part 3  
  
Jerron pulled his hat lower over his brown eyes to block the sun's brillant glare and turned back to the tractor engine he was working on. His eyes widened in surprise when he turned a bolt and it suddenly shot off, spraying him with oil. He put his hands up and took a step back. His foot hit air instead of metal and he cursed loudly as he fell. The impact with the ground knocked the air out of him and he saw spots dancing before his eyes. Nara saw him fall and rushed toward him. "Are you alright?" she asked, leaning over him. There was concern written all over her face. "Yeah." he answered quickly, bolting up. "I'm fine." She eyed him skeptically before walking away. Jerron watched her walk toward the dome and sighed as he stood up and went back to work.  
  
Nara climbed back up the ladder and picked up her discarded hammer. Why had she invited this man to stay? She'd asked herself that same question a hundred times already. He was useful, she couldn't deny that. Maybe she subconsciously wanted company. Someone she could confide in. She smiled ruefully. Someone to keep up until the early hours of morning talking about the farm. After Marsala had left she'd felt so...abandoned. Maybe fate had brought Jerron Knox into her life. He was just as hurt as she was. Maybe more so. She watched as he pulled his hat off and wiped his forehead with his shirtsleeve. He ran his fingers through redish-brown hair before he put his hat back on. He looked toward her as if sensing she was looking at him. She waved to him and he lifted his hand in return. Nara smiled and went back to work. Not ten minutes later she felt a burning sensation run up her arm. Her hammer fell from her suddenly numb fingers. "Not now." she moaned to herself and clutched her arm to her chest. She bit down on her lip to keep from crying out. Tears dampened her cheeks and she knew that they were tinted green without looking at them. Slowly the pain began to ease until it was only a dull, easily managed, throb. What had brought that on?  
  
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"We've been walking for two hours, O'Reilly." "I know." Colleen sighed in response. "I feel like we're going...in circles. HOLLIS! That's it!" "What?" Hollis inquired, baffled. "We've been looking for a way out of here by following this wall and hoping to find a door or something." she explained, shining her light on the wall beneath her other hand. "But what if the way out isn't down here? It's up there?" she pointed the beam up into the dark above them. "Of course. Like a garbage disposal." "Oh, that's a comforting thought." Colleen muttered to herself. She could tell Hollis was frowning at her in the darkness. "So. How are we going to get up there?" she wondered. Hollis looked the wall up and down. He was silent for a moment then pulled out a wickedly long knife and experimentally tried to cut a hand hold in the metal, leaving a deep gash behind. "Well, this should prove to be....WHAT!?!" She was interupted as the whole deck beneath her feet suddenly shifted, almost throwing her to her knees. She braced herself against the wall and waited but nothing happened. "What the heck was that?" "Maybe we're moving or maybe the ExoFleet has found us." Hollis supplied, as shaken as she was. "Maybe. Shall we?" she asked, gesturing to the wall. Hollis moved past her and began to carve out hand and foot holds. Colleen looked up into the void. How high would they have to climb? She adjusted her half empty canteen and attached her light to her belt but left it on. She took a deep breath and began to follow Hollis up the sheer wall.  
  
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Alec bolted up in bed, a cold sweat drenching his body from head to toe. He drew his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them tightly, trying to stop his violent shaking. Algernon assumed the nightmares were a natural reaction of his body to dying and being reborn. He wasn't sure of course since the only other clone was Alice Noretti and she was dead again. Alec shivered again. He didn't really like to think about what had happened. To him the whole process was like going to sleep and then waking up. He looked the same. He still felt the same emotion and sensations. It was just unnerving. He tossed the blankets back and dressed quickly. He eased his door open and scanned the hall before slipping out and down the stairs and out the back door.  
  
Maggie woke groggily to an annoying beep from one of the pouches on her belt. She yawned, coming fully awake, and pulled out a small metal square no longer than her little finger. It was flashing the urgent and report codes. Only three people knew how to access her personal channel and she doubted it was Alec or Algernon so that left J.T. Marsh. She turned the panel off and sat up. She dressed and crept down the hall to Alec's room, trying her hardest not to wake anyone. She looked around his empty room in confusion. Where had he gone in the middle of the night? She walked to the window and looked out. She spotted a figure sitting on a small rise a little away from the house.  
  
Alec could hear Maggie coming up behind him and leaned back on his elbows, gazing at the sky. Her footsteps were distinctive. Long, determined, and measured. Just like her. "Sorry if I woke you. Old habits die hard. I used to come out here as a kid when I needed time to think." he said softly. "Why didn't you tell them about...?" she asked suddenly, appalled that she'd said it. He was silent for a minute. "Because they love me for me, not the body I'm in. It wouldn't matter to them." Alec responded. He looked up at her, his eyes probing. "Does it matter to you, Maggie?" Her throat had suddenly gone dry. "Alec, I...I..." She froze, for some reason she just couldn't say the words. "I'm sorry." "So am I. What did you need?" he replied, turning away. Maggie swallowed convousively. "J.T. sent out an urgent message. I need to report. You can stay if you want." she answered finally, not daring to look at him. "I have to go back soon anyway." he said, standing. "I'll go get my stuff and leave my mother a note." Maggie watched him walk back to the house in misery.  
  
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Avery Butler steepled his forefingers in front of him. "Takagi, huh?" he asked, bemused. "Is that a problem?" "A problem?!" Butler let out a short bark of laughter. "You'll be doing me a favor Commander Marsh. I'd rather have him out doing something useful and giving someone else a headache for a change." "Is he that bad?" J.T. asked and smiled slightly. Same old Kaz. "He's not a bad kid, just not cut out for the responsiblity of leadership. Yet." "That's Kaz for you. Thank you, Captain Butler." J.T. said, standing. Avery also stood. "You're going after the aliens aren't you?" he ventured. "Off the record? Yeah. On the record? What aliens?" J.T. answered. "Bring my platoon back, J.T." "We'll do our best, Avery." J.T. assured him softly. 


	4. Chapter 4

"From the Void" Part 4  
  
Hollis stopped after what seemed to be hours of climbing. "What is it?" Colleen panted, digging her fingers into the hand hold more securely. "We've hit a ledge." he called down. She cursed softly. "Can you cut through it?" She heard scraping above her. "I don't think so." Colleen gritted her teeth in annoyance then let her breath out slowly. She was frustrated, hot, tired, and lost. It didn't combined to put her in a good mood. She reached down and pulled her blaster from its holster. "Put your head down, Hollis." she snapped before firing rapidly into the darkness above her. Chunks of the obliterated shelf rained down on her head and shoulders. She tried to duck her head so the worst of it wouldn't get to her but a piece sliced her forehead. There was a burst of pain then numbness followed by the warm wetness of blood at her temple. She stifled a gasp of pain. "By all of Chaos, woman!!! What are you doing?!" Hollis shouted at her. "Clearing the way." Colleen managed to reply sweetly. "Shall we continue?" Hollis bit back a scathing remark and grumbled under his breath about foolish women but resumed climbing. Colleen pulled herself up on the ledge after Hollis and collapsed. Every muscle in her body screamed in agony even though she was in good shape. She trembled with exhaustion. She gulped air into her lungs. She was pleasently surprised to find that the ledge was wide enough for her to stretch her legs out. But why was there a ledge there anyway? And where was there? The not knowing was almost as disturbing as the endless dark. Eternally the optimist she decided when she got out of this she was going to sit in the sun for a whole day. But first she had to actually get out. "Now's a good time to rest." she joked weakly. As if on cue her light sputtered and died, plunging them into total darkness. Colleen took a deep breath and tried to remain calm. It was nothing to worry about. They still had Hollis' right? "Colleen?" "It's alright, Hollis." she tried to sound reassuring. "Let's just rest awhile." Silence answered her. She rested her head against the wall and let herself doze.  
  
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"Okay. Here's the situation." J.T. Marsh said, pacing up and down the ranks of the gathered ExoTroopers. "It's been four days since Chaos' disappearence. Since then there has been no contact with anyone stationed there and no sightings of the ships." J.T. stopped at a viewport and gazed out at the inky blackness, broken only by the lights of the stars and the combined ExoFleet and Neosapien ships. He let his mind wander for a moment. Only three members of Able Squad had reported. Rita would never be left out and Bronski and Kaz jumped at the chance for a little action. Eve Hanley had accompanied Bronski after refusing to leave her fiannce's side. Only two other troopers had volunteered to go, Jennifer Kersh and Jace Styn. J.T. wished he had more experienced members but Nara couldn't be reached, Marsala was obligated to be present at the Senate, Maggie was on leave who knew where, and Alec...Alec was... He crushed the errant thought. He'd fail another member of his squad. This time his best friend. First Alice Noretti, now Alec. They'd been together since their days at the academy. He shook off his grief. More people were depending on him, he could feel their eyes on him, and he wouldn't let them down. He smiled slightly as everyone averted their eyes when he turned around. Knowing they still believed in him strengthened his resolve. "I want you all to make sure you know the consequences. You could be courtmarshalled." He paused a moment to let it sink in then smiled when he heard a quiet "Wouldn't be the first time." No one noticed when Alec and Maggie arrived. She was about to enter the hanger when she noticed the apprehension in his eyes. She placed a hand on his arm and he looked down at her. "Want to wait a minute?" she asked. He nodded slowly. He was still terrified of confronting what had happened. Maggie squeezed his arm reassuringly and they turned back to the hanger. "There were at least 350,000 people on Chaos when it disappeared. Along with two ExoCruisers, the Secura and the Eisenhower, and the Charlie-Five Jumptroop squadron. Maggie gasped in shock. What had happened while she had been gone? She felt Alec tense next to her and knew he felt the same way. "Colleen." she heard him whisper. "There's still time for any of you to back out. No one will hold it against you." J.T. emphasized again, directing the comment at Kersh and Styn. Kersh arched an elegant black eyebrow at him and smiled. Alec looked back down at Maggie, the fear replaced by determination. "We have to go." He stepped out from the shadows of the door and strode across the bay toward the small gathering. J.T. heard steps behind him and spun, blaster in hand. "Holy." Bronski muttered. Alec met J.T.'s stunned eyes down the barrel of the gun. "Do you have room for two more?" J.T. just stared in silence for a long minute. Then his fist caught Alec's jaw and he sprawled on the floor. A small murmur of sound went thru the group watching. Alec sat up slowly, rubbing his chin. The blow hurt like Hell. Maggie came running across the hanger. "Alec?" "I'm fine." he assured her. J.T. whirled on Maggie. "Can I speak to you, Lt. Weston?" he asked coldly befor walking away. Maggie looked at Alec helplessly the stalked after J.T. The hurt and dejection in his eyes made her heart ache in response. J.T. stopped well away from the squad. He heard Maggie stop next to him and crossed his arms over his chest. "Care to explain?" Maggie had planned for this. "Explain what? It's Alec, J.T. He's a clone, just like Noretti." "I know what he is!" J.T. exploded. "What is it doing here?!" Maggie blinked and took a step backward. "He's part of the squad." Fury crossed J.T.'s face. "Alec was part of the squad. That," he pointed to where Alec was standing alone, "is a clone who looks like him but that doesn't make him Alec!" "J.T.!" "I know you miss him, Mags. I miss him, too." he continued more softly. "But this is only going to make it harder for you to get on with your life." Maggie's eyes hardened in rage. "Forget it. We don't have time to argue. People need help on Chaos. Alec's clone, " she slurred the word in distaste, "wants to help." She spun on her heel. "You'll see that it really is Alec." she threw back over her shoulder. J.T. rejoined the group. He passed Alec with only a cursory glance. "Let's go people, we've got a job to do." Alec swallowed his disappointment and went to get his E-frame. What had he been expecting? To be welcomed back with open arms? Reality hurt. He palmed open the storage unit for his spare and did a quick check of the outside. He stepped into the cockpit and waited for the cyberjack to link up. Alec settled his shoulders in to the padding and initiated the start- up sequence. It felt like coming home, at least until the cockpit began to close. Suddenly, everywhere he looked he saw Typhonus. The remembered pain was so vivid it could have been real. He rested his head against the glass and closed his eyes, drawing a ragged breath. The neosapian's face burned behind his eyelids. "Alec? Are you ready?" Maggie questioned. He opened his eyes slowly. "Uh...yeah." She didn't look like she believed him but there wasn't time for her to comment on it. J.T. wanted to get out of there before someone caught on to what they were doing. "Systems check." he barked. Everyone called out affirmatives. "Then let's go." "Commander Marsh! I must speak to you!" Everyone exchanged worried glances. J.T. turned to face the man running towards them. Commander Gibbons skidded to a halt when he spotted the gun in the other man's hand. "I'm in a bit of a hurry, Commander." J.T. told him. "You'll have to catch me later." The E-frames lifted off the deck, leaving Gibbons red-faced and angry. "This is insubordination!" he sputtered. "You'll all be courtmarshalled!" "Wouldn't be the first time." J.T. quipped, then saluted mockingly and followed his squad into the darkness of space. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------------  
  
Jerron Knox was in love. Or this was how he thought it would feel. He was sure Nara felt something for him, too, even if it was just friendship. At least, he hoped so. He looked down at her still form. She was exhausted. She'd been talking to him and had just fallen asleep. He could feel the weariness pulling at him too, but he wasn't quite ready to go to bed yet. Jerron pulled a blanket over Nara then frowned. She was hiding something from him, and he was determined to find out what it was. 


	5. Chapter 5

"From the Void" Part 5  
  
"Colleen?" Colleen bolted upright, wide awake, her hand on her blaster. "Hollis?" "I can't move my legs." She scooted closer and fumbled for his light, flicking it on. "Your power's running low." she informed him after checking the readout. "It must have gotten damaged and leaked when I blew the shelf up." "What are we going to do?" Hollis asked, his eyes betraying the panic he was beginning to feel. "I don't know." she sighed, letting her head fall back against the wall. "I don't know if the is anything we can do." Hollis's eyes narrowed. "Are you saying we should give up?! I have too many things to do with my life to quit this easily." "I don't know anymore." Colleen whispered, feeling the hot wetness of her tears brush her cheeks. "I stupidly thought I could get us out of this. I was wrong. I'm sorry." She bit her lip to keep from crying out loud. She had failed everyone counting on her and it wasn't a good feeling. The people of Chaos, Hollis, her troop, and, most of all, herself. It wasn't fair. She still had so much to do. She had barely begun to live. She hadn't even told J.T. how she felt about him. "I'm glad you're here, Hollis. I don't want to be alone when..." her voice died. Hollis's fist thumped dully against the wall. "I cannot believe you would give up so easily, Lt. O'Reilly. We are not going to die here. I..." He stopped abruptly. "I don't believe it!" he exclaimed in excitement. Colleen brushed her tears away with the back of her hand. "What?: she asked, confused. "This wall," he smacked his fist against it again experimentally,"is hollow." She scrambled to her knees and slammed her own hand against it, listening to the dull ring. She turned to him, her eyes sparkling with happiness. "Hollis, we're getting out of here."  
  
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Nara was in the garden, gently pulling weeds from around the delicate green sprouts growing there. She found the work a perfect balm to soothe her troubled mind. Jerron and she had gotten into an argument the night before. He'd been asking too many questions. Questions she wasn't ready to answer yet. Her dodging or blunt refusal to answer them had caused him to accuse her of not trusting him. It had escalated into a full fledged fight until Jerron stormed out of the house into the night. She'd lain awake most of the night worrying she'd run him off for good, until she heard him come back in close to dawn. She was so lost in thought she didn't notice what was happening until the pain lanced up her arm and down her side. It caught her unprepared and she couldn't bite back the scream of pain. Nara curled into a ball on the ground and cried. Jerron skidded around the corner with blaster in hand. "Nara?!" he shouted, dropping to his knees next to her. "What happened? Talk to me!" "Leave me alone." she gasped. "No. Never again." He pulled her into his lap and held her close, rocking her slightly. She buried her face against his neck and whimpered softly. Her fingers twisted in his shirt and her teeth clenched when a strong pain ripped through her, making her whole body tense, and a small moan escaped her. Jerron was helpless to help her other than to stroke her hair and murmur soft reassurances. Her body suddenly went slack against him and she began to tremble. He could feel her breath strike his throat heavily. He rested his cheek against her hair. "This can't go on, Nara. There can't be anymore secrets between us." Nara nodded without lifting her head. The story just started pouring out and for 20 minutes he listened without saying a word. When she finished he felt her pull away from him both physically and mentally. "Nara?" he finally asked after finding his voice. She couldn't meet his eyes. "It's okay. I understand. You're leaving. No one wants to work for a monster." Jerron hooked a finger under her chin and tilted her head until he could look into her eyes. "You're not a monster and I'm not leaving. It's not your fault what happened. I hate that you have to pay for what this Ketzer did to you." he told her. "Why?" Nara croaked past the tightness in her throat. He brushed the backs of his fingers across her pale cheek lightly. "Because I love you, Nara Burns, and nothing is going to change that." Jerron replied tenderly. "I want to help you. If you'll let me?" Nara couldn't stop the tears that welled up in her green eyes. She raised a shaking hand to his face. "I love you, too." she whispered. He pulled her close for a long kiss then tucked her head beneath his chin. "What are we going to do now?" she asked. "I don't know yet." he answered.  
  
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"Marsh to the Remington. Open the hanger." A sliver of light appeared against the endless dark and gradually widened as the cloaked ship prepared to admit them. J.T. settled on the deck first. He listened as the rest of the squad landed behind him but kept his gaze directed on the man striding toward him. "Permission to come aboard, Simbacca?" "Permission granted, J.T. Marsh." he formally replied before his face broke into a feral grin. "We've been waiting for you." "There were some loose ends to tie up." J.T. responded. Simbacca nodded knowingly. He looked over J.T.'s shoulder. His smile reflected his obvious pleasure. "Alec DeLeon. You're joining us to formulate our plans?" The question came out as more of a demand than a request. Alec grinned at the pirate. "Perhaps later, Simbacca." He nodded curtly and draped his arm across J.T.'s shoulders and began to lead him away. "We've plotted a course..." Their voices faded as they walked toward the door. Alec's smile disappeared in an instant. J.T.'s venomous glare when Simbacca acknowledged him hurt more than being crushed in his own e-frame had. He squared his shoulders. He wasn't going to let J.T.'s denseness keep him from doing his job. He noticed Maggie watching him and smiled at her.  
  
"Bronski..." Rita warned. "Yeah, yeah. Can it." he mumbled. "But I still want to know." "So go ask." Kaz inserted. "Ask what?" Jace questioned. "Something personal, kid." Bronski responded pointedly. Jace shoved his chair back angrily and stood. He slammed his hands down on the table and leaned forward. "We're a part of this squad, too!" Bronski's chair tumbled backwards loudly when he jumped up. "You weaseled your third-rate self in her because three of our teammates are gone!" he exclaimed. "Third-rate!?" Jace exploded. "I can fly circles around you, lard @$$!" "Why you..." Bronski snarled as he started around the table. "Jace..." "Be quiet, Jenny." Jace told the petite raven-haired beauty. "I'm not gonna take this from that bag of hot air." Everyone was shouting now. "Will you both stop it?!" Eve yelled over the noise. "Whoa, Wolf-man. He didn't mean it." Kaz tried to placate him. "Stop it! That's an order!" Rita demanded. A blaster shot bounced off the table, silencing everyone. "Am I interrupting?" Alec asked in a deceptively calm voice. "We're all teammates here. No matter the circumstances behind it." "Stay out of this, you..." Bronski growled. "Clone?" Alec finished. He arched a blond eyebrow at him. "Are you going to hold the fact that I'm not in my original body against me, too?" Silence answered him. "I thought so." He spun on his heel and walked away. Everyone was quiet for a moment. "I'm sorry, kid." Bronski apologized, extending his hand. Jace took it. "Nah. It was my fault. I shouldn't have been prying." Kaz left the group and wandered over to where Alec sat alone, working on a comm board for his e-frame. He looked up when Kaz neared. Kaz tapped his head. "You're still the same up here, right?" Alec nodded slowly. Kaz smiled in satisfaction. "Good. You need help with that?"  
  
"Commander?" J.T. looked up from the planetary charts he was studying and towards the pirate standing in the door. "Yeah?" "There's an incoming transmission for you. It's been patched into the terminal to your right." "Thank you." J.T. mumbled, swiveling his chair toward the console and flicked it on. The static cleared and the face became more defined. "Marsala!" "J.T." the Neosapien replied, stress reflecting in his eyes. "Let me guess." Marsh leaned back in his seat, a cynical smile on his lips. "This call is because the Senate is in a snit because I left against their orders. Being a friend and former squad member you were volunteered to try to talk some sense into me and, if need be, to threaten. Am I right so far? Then you'll tell me I'm being irrational. Spare me Marsala, nothing you say will change my mind." "You have to understand where we're coming from..." Marsala began. "We?" J.T. interrupted. "How easily you forget. Do your loyalties change so easily?" The Neo looked stunned. J.T. irritably ran his hand over his eyes. "I'm sorry. I know you have to be there. The future of the entire neosapien race rests with your support. It's just a little frustrating that no one believes me. In all the time you've known me, have I ever scared easily?" Marsala smiled wryly. "No. Which is why I was calling to inform you the Senate has sent the Damocles loaded with three squads of e-frames after you. To bring you back with force if necessary." J.T. smiled thinly. "Maybe when they get here they'll have a real threat to shoot at." he replied dryly. "Thank you, Marsala." Marsala nodded and the screen went blank. J.T. clicked his own monitor off and rose from his seat. He began to pace the length of the room. Where were the alien ships? His instincts had never been wrong before and they told him the vessels were a threat. He froze mid-stride as the harsh wailing of the ships alarm resounded thru the ship. "No." he muttered. "It's too soon." He shuffled thru the charts the checked the readouts Simbacca sent him. His calculations told him that they had barely passed Mars. How could the ships have gotten that far so fast unless... J.T. dropped the papers on the desk and ran out the door towards the hanger. 


	6. Chapter 6

"From the Void" Part 6  
  
"Are you ready to go?" Jerron asked. Silence. He turned. "Nara?" "I'm afraid to leave again." she said softly. "Something bad always happens." Jerron turned her to face him. "We'll be back before you know it. I promise. If your old Exo pals won't help then we'll do it ourselves, okay?" "Okay, but they'll help. I know it." she told him. He smiled at her optimism and hugged her tightly before helping her into the skimmer. He climbed in next to her. He hoped she was right. He didn't want to be away from their haven any longer than they had to. His reasons were completely different from hers though. The longer they were away the chance was greater that Nara would somehow learn about his past and God help them both if that ever happened.  
  
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Colleen inched back to Hollis's side after setting the last of the charges. Her shoulder touched his reassuringly. "Are you ready?" she asked. "As I'll ever be." he answered. "Okay. Here goes." She depressed the trigger. The resulting explosion was deafening. Colleen clapped her hands over her ears and felt Hollis imitate the movement next to her. The floor under them shook with the force of it. She coughed as dust-like particles swirled past her, accompanied by a strangely familiar sickening smell. She slowly opened her eyes, She had to blink against the light streaming in the new hole. "It worked." she whispered, then louder. "IT WORKED!" She scrambled to her feet and turned to pull Hollis up, supporting most of his weight herself. They laborishly made their way to the gaping hole. "We must have blown up some kind of pipes." Hollis stated, looking curiously at the dark liquid pooling on the floor. Colleen nodded absently, staring at the pink material between the two walls. Something about it stirred in the back of her mind. What kind of insulation was that? She shrugged. It didn't really matter. At least they'd finally gotten out of the oppressive dark. She managed to get Hollis over the hole and down the hall quite a ways, every nerve tuned for trouble if anyone came to investigate the explosion. She found a deep, shaded alcove off the hallway where they wouldn't be seen. She eased Hollis to the ground and leaned against the wall to regain her breath. "You should have left me back there." Hollis suddenly said. "I'm slowing you down." Colleen glared at him. "Nonsense." she scoffed. "We're in this together, remember?" "You can't drag me around with you everywhere. You're not strong enough. And you can't patch this suit up good enough to let me walk for anymore than 10 minutes." "What are you suggesting? That I leave you here?" she asked, suspiciously. "Exactly." "Out of the question!" "I don't recall asking." Hollis reminded her coldly. "Leave me a blaster and a tracer and I'll be fine until you get back." She was about to protest again when he cut her off. "The longer you argue about it, the less chance we have of getting out of here alive." Colleen wanted to keep fighting about it but she knew he was right. She sighed. "Alright, damn it. You win. I'll leave the canteen. I won't need it." Hollis kept his mouth shut. Once her mind was made up there was no changing it. When she was ready to leave he had a blaster, a tracer, a canteen, and had been juryrigged together to conserve power. She bent down and kissed his cheek. "You're brave, pirate. I'll be back." she said fondly before disappearing around the corner. "Good luck." he whispered after her.  
  
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The e-frames spilled forth from the Remington's hull. They all immediately fell into attack formation. "Where are they?" Maggie asked. "Look! Over there!" Kaz shouted, pointing toward the three shapes moving in the distance. Everyone turned to look and an eerie silence descended on them. J.T. wondered if they felt the sam fascination/terror he did. "Alec, do a..." he began before catching himself. "Already done." Alec replied, acting as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. "There are no transmissions to or from the ships. I'm jamming them just in case." "How are the nine of us supposed to stop those. They're huge." Jennifer asked nervously. Out of the corner of his eye, J.T. noticed Jace's e-frame move closer to hers and the low hum over his comm told him they were talking on a secured line. "We may not be doing this alone if the time comes. The Damocles is bringing more e-frames this way." he informed them calmly. "But are they reinforcements or a posse?" Bronski grumbled under his breath. "Both." J.T. surprised him by responding. "Alright. Fan out, troops. Recon only. Don't fire unless provoked. We still have to figure out what happened to Chaos." Everyone broke off into groups of two and spread out, speeding towards the ships. J.T. opened all of his channels so he could hear anything said and followed more slowly. Was Colleen on one of those ships? He longed to find out but squashed the urge. "They're beautiful, Alec." Maggie breathed as they got closer. Alec made an affirmative sound, also awestruck. "Less talk and more action!" Rita barked over the comm. Alec and Maggie grinned at each other and moved forward. "Did you ever see a whale?" she asked suddenly. "I did once. As a child. It was so warm and...alive, I guess. Now they're so close to extinction all we have are vid clips. That's what these remind me of. Sorta space whales." she finished and laughed softly to cover her embarrassment. He smiled at her. "Watch them, Mags. It's like they know where they're going." He paused. "Almost like they're migrating." Maggie laughed. "They probably would contest that." "Just a minute." he told her and moved off. "What are you doing?!" He got in front of one of the ships and positioned his frame a long ways under its flight path then held it stationary and waited for it to pass over him. He held his breath in fascination as the seamless hull glided over him. What kind of civilization could create such perfect technology? He pushed himself up behind it and studied the back before returning to Maggie's side. "You took ten years off my life with that stunt, DeLeon!" Alec ignored her outraged comment. "It's perfect." he marvelled. "I didn't see any propulsion units or exhaust outlets at all. Amazing! If I didn't know better I would say they were alive." "But you do and we've had more than a good look at it so we should report back to J.T." "In a second. I'm going to get a closer look. I don't think they even know we're here." he said, drifting to the third vessel that was skimming past. "You're starting to sound just like Algernon." Maggie muttered irritably. "Alec..." J.T. appeared at her side. "Alec, don't get too close." He could almost see the other man's grin. "Don't worry, J.T., I'll..." His e-frame disappeared in a blinding flash of light. "ALEC!!!!" Maggie and J.T. shouted at the same time. J.T.'s comm sputtered with noise as everyone demanded an explanation but he ignored them. "Maggie! Maggie, don't! He's not dead!" he shouted to her as she began to lunge toward the place where Alec had disappeared. She stopped and looked back at him incredulously. "What?" "He's not dead, although he may be when I get my hands on him." J.T. repeated. "He was right." "About what?" " They're alive."  
  
To Be Continued or The End? You decide! :)  
  
So....what did you think? Should I write another part or pull a Universal and just leave it? 


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